2019 ASBK Round One – Phillip Island Supersport Race Three
Supersport Race Three – TBG Image
Sunday’s racing at the opening round of the 2019 Motul Pirelli Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) got underway bright and early today with Race 3 of the Supersport class, held during the FIM World Superbike Championship (WSBK) weekend here at Phillip Island.
Tom Toparis – Image Rob Mott
It was Tom Toparis’ (Landbridge Transport Yamaha YZF-R6) chance to make it a clean sweep of the weekend and he delivered, putting on an absolutely clinical performance to finish the race more than six seconds ahead of the rest of the field. This performance meant that he took the honour of being the ASBK’s first round winner for 2019.
Tom Toparis – Image Rob Mott
Second place for the round belonged to Nic Liminton (Yamaha Motor Aust. Yamaha YZF-R6), who had a trio of second places but had to work for the final one- bumping Callum Spriggs (Allsite Concrete Cutting Yamaha YZF-R6) down to third in the last-minute dash for the finish line after Spriggs had spent nearly the whole race in second spot.
Tom Toparis – Image Rob Mott
Toparis once again started on pole ahead of Liminton and Oli Bayliss (Cube Racing Yamaha YZF-R6). Liminton, battling a shoulder injury picked up earlier in the weekend but had been putting in good performances nonetheless.
Ty Lynch – TBG Image
Ty Lynch (Russell Phillips Motorsports, Yamaha YZF-R6) couldn’t replicate the performances in the previous races and was down in ninth by lap four and ten seconds off the leaders.
At half distance and Toparis was four seconds up. Spriggs was at the head of the chasing train of riders, having a good day way up from his finishing position of eighth in Race 2 yesterday.
Callum Spriggs – Rob Mott Image
With three laps to go it was, Toparis, Spriggs, Liminton, Broc Pearson (Yamaha YZF-R6), and Bayliss, and it looked like it would stay that way until Liminton pulled off the move of the race to pip Spriggs on the line by a miniscule 0.04 seconds to secure second.
Tom Toparis – P1
“It’s been an awesome weekend; pole and three wins is exactly what we wanted to do for this round. Leading into Wakefield Park we’ve got a 16 point advantage now so pretty happy with that.”
Tom Toparis – Image Rob Mott
South Australia’s Nic Liminton was thrilled to finish second in the round standings.
Nic Liminton – P2
“It’s been such a good start getting second overall on the new Yamaha R6” he said. “That last race was hard though, Callum was in a solid second position but on the last lap I just managed to get in his slipstream on the line and get second overall.”
Nic Liminton – TBG Image
Oli Bayliss – P3
“I was hoping at the start of the weekend that I could get a top three and that’s exactly what I did in the last race” said Bayliss. “We struggled a bit off the start and managed to lose Nic and Cal but other than that had a really good race.”
ASBK Supersport Championship Points Standings 1 Tom TOPARIS (Landbridge Transport Yamaha YZF-R6) 76 2 Nicholas LIMINTON (Yamaha Motor Aust. Yamaha YZF-R6) 60 3 Oli BAYLISS (Cube Racing Yamaha YZF-R6) 52
ASBK Supersport Race Three Results
Tom TOPARIS (Landbridge Transport Yamaha YZF-R6)
Nicholas LIMINTON (Yamaha Motor Aust. Yamaha YZF-R6)
2019 ASBK Round One – Phillip Island Supersport Race Two
Tom Toparis ran away with the opening Australian Supersport race which left Nic Liminton, Callum Spriggs and Oli Bayliss to fight it out for the other steps on the podium.
Toparis again jumped away from the pack and immediately started stretching away as Nic Liminton, Oli Bayliss, Reid Battye, Ty Lynch and Callum Spriggs vainly gave chase.
Toparis did it easily once again while Nic Liminton was the best of the rest, putting in consistent 37s to pull away from Oli Bayliss, who managed to stave off a late attack from Broc Pearson to claim his first Supersport 600 podium.
2019 ASBK Round One – Phillip Island Supersport Race One
The opening Supersport race of ASBK 2019 got underway at 0900 this morning under clear skies at Phillip Island in front of a building crowd. Goulburn teenager Tom Toparis had looked the man to beat all weekend and the Yamaha rider got away to an early break while Oli Bayliss, Callum Spriggs and Nic Liminton gave chase.
Tom Toparis – Image Rob Mott
Bayliss the new debutante in the class after moving up from Supersport 300 under the new rule that allows suitably proven 15-year-olds to now step up to the vastly different Supersport 600 Championship. Bayliss has Glen Richards in his corner for his first season in the category, the well-known South Australian back from crew chief duties in British Superbike and a lengthy career within the ranks of BSB in various roles. A busy testing schedule leading up to the season has seen young Oli well-prepared for his step up to the heavier and faster category of racing.
Oli Bayliss, Nic Liminton – Image Rob Mott
Out front Toparis was streeting the field though, pulling away by more than a second a lap and clearly in a race of his own.
Tom Toparis – Image Rob Mott
Behind him Nic Liminton had eased his way past Bayliss but could not break away. The pair traded places over the opening few laps while Callum Spriggs and Ty Lynch kept in touch with them. A couple of second behind that quartet a battle for sixth place was unfolding between Broc Pearson, Jack Passfield and Aidan Hayes.
Nic Liminton, Oli Bayliss and Callum Spriggs – TBG Image
In the closing stages of the race Liminton finally managed to break clear of Bayliss, leaving his younger foe to fight for the final step on the rostrum with Callum Spriggs and at the flag it was the more experienced of the two that got that podium position by a nose, the difference only three-thousandth-of-a-second at the line.
Toparis had backed off in the closing laps but still took victory by more than five-seconds, his pace though was good enough for that to be ten-seconds should he wished to have pushed all the way to the chequered flag.
Tom Toparis – Image Rob Mott
Nic Liminton second from Callum Spriggs with Oli Bayliss just missing out on a podium in his Supersport debut. Broc Pearson, Ty Lynch, Aidan Hayes and Jack Passfield rounded out an all Yamaha top eight ahead of Sam Lambert on an MV Agusta while Reid Battye rounded out the top ten on a Suzuki.
SBK Supersport 600 Race One Results Tom Toparis – Yamaha Nic Liminton – Yamaha +5.495 Callum Spriggs – Yamaha +7.786 – Image TBG
ASBK Supersport 600 Race One Results
Tom Toparis – Yamaha
Nic Liminton – Yamaha +5.495
Callum Spriggs – Yamaha +7.786
Oli Bayliss – Yamaha +7.789
Broc Pearson – Yamaha +8.749
Ty Lynch – Yamaha +9.672
Aidan Hayes – Yamaha +9.692
Jack Passfield – Yamaha +9.869
Sam Lambert – MV Agusta +15.373
Reid Battye – Suzuki +18.363
Dylan Whiteside – Yamaha +24.138
Scott Nicholson – Suzuki +29.365
Rhys Belling – Yamaha +29.367
Chris Quinn – Yamaha +29.605
Luke Mitchell – Yamaha +39.079
John Quinn – Triumph +39.106
Luke Sanders – Yamaha +51.992
Andrew Edser – Kawasaki +52.157
Matt Cranmer – Honda +52.437
Dan Leonard – Yamaha +60.466
ASBK Supersport 600 Race One Results Tom Toparis – Yamaha Nic Liminton – Yamaha +5.495 Callum Spriggs – Yamaha +7.786 – Image Rob Mott
There will be plenty written about Oli Bayliss this year as he debuts in the 600cc Supersport Championship. As reported in our extensive Supersport wrap, at the end of the recent ASBK two-day test young Bayliss was third fastest. A remarkable effort considering his tender years.
Oli Bayliss – Image by TBG Sport
So how did those close to him reckon he went? We spoke to his famous father Troy, and also his new Crew Chief, mentor and as he says ‘new Dad’, the vastly experienced Glen Richards.
Richards has been around race tracks and paddocks for decades and brings a wealth of experience with him as a rider, mechanic, crew chief, rider advisor and mentor.
First up Troy Bayliss
MCNews: How do you rate Oli’s first days on the bike.
Troy: Ollie has now had six days on the bikes and he’s been impressive, getting better and better, and he hasn’t scathed one yet. He’s absolutely loving it, so I’m sure he’s going to learn a lot come the first race. No one wants to show him anything on track, he’s done it all by himself.
Troy Bayliss – Image by Rob Mott
“The only time he’s been with anyone was with me, at Morgan Park to do a few laps. But that’s it, you don’t believe what anyone here in this paddock tells you… You do not. Unless you’re talking to me, I’ll tell you the truth. You have to work it out for yourself, and he’s going to have to work a lot of things out when it comes to the first race. But he’s having a great time, we’re looking forward to seeing how the season goes.”
Glen Richards on Oli Bayliss
MCNews: And Glen can you explain your role with Oli and how it came to be?
Glen Richards: “I’m the new dad now, aren’t I, I’m Oli’s dad! I’m doing quite a few jobs really. I’m looking after Oli, as in a crew chief role, obviously in a small team it’s a hand on job, compared to where I was a crew chief in BSB in the last few years. I’ve got one extra set of hands in Jonno at the track, so there’s two of us. I enjoy that side, I like being hands on, I’m just trying to do the best job I can, in giving Oli as much experience from my point of view, which is obviously always going to be a little bit different to his dad’s.
Oli Bayliss will work with Glen Richards for ASBK season 2019
“Ben [Henry] back at the workshop has done a fantastic job and got the engines working well, Troy has been flat out helping me build the bikes, we only started building the bikes less than a month ago. We’ve done quite a bit of testing now and Oli has done 37s first time – he did 37.4s and last time he was racing he was doing 49s on the a 300, so he’s having a massive steep learning curve. All credit to him, he’s chipped away at it, bit by bit, got faster and faster, as the testing has gone on, so I’m well impressed with his attitude and his ability to work through a little program of testing. At 15 years of age I think it’s amazing really.
Oli Bayliss – Image by TBG Sport
“I helped Alex Lowes with many things, I did three years in WorldSBK and at that stage I had retired from racing, but was still riding the Suzuki as a test rider, and helping Alex at race meetings. After three years of that it was one of those things, he was sort of moving forward with his career, and I wanted to be a bit more hands on, on the bikes, so I became a crew chief in the BSB, where I was working purely on the motorbike with Jake Dixon. Again that was a little team and I really enjoyed that but now I’m back in Australia and I didn’t know what I was going to do, but I spoke to Troy about helping out with Ollie and so far what we’ve done the last month has been a massive job to build two bikes and test, you know in a month, but we’ve done it. Like I said there’s a very good base, with Cube Racing, and the help that Troy has around him, an easy thing to do, to set the 600 team up really.”
Eighteen riders started the ASBK Supersport test, with Oli Bayliss making the step up to the Supersport category this year, but no one could get near last year’s class runner-up, as Tom Toparis totally dominated all bar one of the eight sessions.
Toparis has left the Cube Racing Team where he’s been since he started road racing. After his years racing Kawasaki’s in both the 300 class and Supersports, Tom will be Yamaha mounted this year, basically doing it alone in a family run affair with a few sponsors like Landbridge Racing.
Tom Toparis
“It’s been a good weekend, for the first time at the Island on the Aussie Supersport bike. It’s good to get out and do some laps and learn. The bike’s really smooth and I think that’s the most important thing.”
Tom Toparis – ASBK 2019 – Official Phillip Island Test
The youngster from Goulburn (NSW) will also be doing a Wild Card in the Supersport World Championship at Phillip Island later this month on an up-specced Yamaha R6 which should give him a great opportunity to step up the leader board after his experience in the event last year, when he finished 14th in the race.
It was Tom’s first outing on the new bikes at the test and so there was a lot of setting up to be done to adapt to the characteristics of the Yamaha after his years on the Kawasaki.
Tom Toparis
“The new Yamaha R6 is just really smooth, straight out of the box. The chassis is a lot more… a bit more like a Moto3 bike. It feels a lot stiffer and a lot more race orientated and a lot more aggressive, the styling of it. The brakes are good, we can make the tyre last for a long time, which is really good. We just have to make a few decisions about what we’re going to run. We’re just messing around with a few little things, we went pretty fast this morning. We’ll see how we go and hopefully my little mate Oli won’t beat me anytime soon. We’ll be back in a couple of weeks to test the WorldSBK, I just rode it around today, no tyres or anything to get a bit of a feel for that too…”
Tom Toparis – ASBK 2019 – Official Phillip Island Test
Second fastest was South Australian Nic Liminton, also Yamaha mounted. It’s a welcome return for Liminton as he was sidelined for most of last year as he battled – and overcame – testicular cancer. It’s a confronting moment for a teenager, as it would have been an extremely difficult time for the close knit Liminton family but thankfully he is back to full health, and keener than ever to get on track again racing.
Nic Liminton – ASBK 2019 – Official Phillip Island Test
His times were slightly off his PB around the track as they are fine tuning their new Yamaha’s but understandably Nic is just over the moon to be back riding and racing in a few weeks, after his reality check of 2018.
Nic Liminton
“We had a lot to get through as we set up the new bikes back but I am so happy with where we are right now. I am just so happy to be back getting ready to race a full season. This is my first time ever on the new Yamaha R6. The suspension we’re still dealing with, hopefully we’ll get it all sorted by the race, but at the moment – the Ohlins – if we can get it dialed in, I reckon we can have a very good race. We had a base setting on the suspension at the start and we thought that was going to be amazing, but we changed a few things and we’ve got it to a pretty good point now. With a few more practice sessions we’ll be in a better place. Track time is definitely a bit of an issue, we don’t have much of it, compared to some of the other riders, so we’ll just try and learn as quick as possible and then hope the race is going to be good. Top three is where I want to be, I think Tom’s in a league of his own at the moment, but if we can slowly close the gap through each round to him, I want to be where he is by sometime this year. That’s the goal.”
Nic Liminton – ASBK 2019 – Official Phillip Island Test
We know the kid can ride but it was still a bit of a surprise to see Oli Bayliss third fastest over the two days. Ok, he has had a few sessions at Morgan Park on the 600 to get a handle on it but coming to Phillip Island is an entirely different bunch of coconuts.
Oli Bayliss – ASBK 2019 – Official Phillip Island Test
The last time he rode there was on a 300 Proddie bike with massively different lap times, so it was a huge challenge but he took it in his stride and was only two-tenths off Liminton’s best time, with plenty of more experienced Supersport pilots behind him. Broc Pearson, also on a Yamaha, was less than a tenth of a second off, in fourth fastest, snapping at his heels.
Oli Bayliss
“We’re still getting used to the track, we’ve ridden the bike four times, but on this track zero, so the first day actually surprised me. I didn’t realise we were going to go this fast, but I’m absolutely loving it, and it’s a great track to ride, and so much fun. I didn’t think I was going to get going this fast so early on. I was here three months ago and we were doing 1:49s and now we’re doing 1:37s, so it’s like a 12 second, 13 seconds difference and it’s just different to get used to how much more power it has than the 300. The weekend was very good. Very, very, very, very good! It was really helpful and it’s given me a lot of confidence going into the race. Our times weren’t bad, we were third or fourth overall and we are getting there. Hopefully practice at the race meeting we can crack a 36, maybe even a 35. It’s going to be hard, but with a bit of help, with another rider being towed along and a few other changes to the bike – I’m losing a bit of top speed, so if we can get all of those problems sorted out, hopefully we can go a bit faster. I’ve three of my best mates out there, Tom [Toparis], Ty [Lynch] and Broc [Pearson], so it’s going to be weird racing them all, but also going to be really fun. Hopefully we can still be friends after the finish, if shit happens!”
Oli Bayliss – ASBK 2019 – Official Phillip Island Test
Pearson who was fourth fastest, was his usual rapid self but a big get off at Turn One towards the end of day one slowed things down a bit, as on day two he never quite got to the times of the previous day and on his own admission says that he always has trouble with the track.
Broc Pearson – ASBK 2019 – Official Phillip Island Test
Broc Pearson
“We started off Day One really good, and I think I prepared well for this season, I’m a lot fitter and a lot more flexible. Yesterday morning started really well, I missed the first session due to some electrical issues, but we got out there in the second one. Instantly I was into good times, so I was really confident. Leading into the last session I was first on the times at about the middle mark of the session and went back out and had a new set of tyres and was pretty confident to go a bit faster. I ended up making a mistake in Turn 1 and had a bit of a fall, and then Day Two just hasn’t gelled so much. I sort of get over that kind of stuff and don’t get effected but I think I found a bit of a limit yesterday that was like hitting a wall today, getting to a speed that I couldn’t really pass. So I think I just need to work on a few things with my riding, I don’t think it’s mental or physical, it’s just time on the bike, which I don’t get much off. So hopefully we can get a bit of that between now and end of the month.”
Broc Pearson – ASBK 2019 – Official Phillip Island Test
Another debutant in the class is the 2017 Australian Supersport 300cc Champion, Reid Battye, returning to the domestic title chase after a disastrous season in Europe last year. After winning the title Reid had high hopes of competing in the Supersport 300 World Championship that Tom Edwards competed in, but a botch up with registering for the over-subscribed grid saw the teenager left out in the cold and living in Italy.
Reid Battye – ASBK 2019 – Official Phillip Island Test
He returned to Australia half way through the year and so has not had much riding but was impressive in his first outing on the new Suzukis and was fifth. Like Bayliss, Battye will definitely be a threat once he gets more in tune with the bikes and he has the added bonus of Phil Tainton fettling his bikes between meetings. Expect him to give it a big shake
Reid Battye – ASBK 2019 – Official Phillip Island Test
Just adrift of Battye was Sam Lambert who has had an on-again off-again relationship with the class in recent years but in that time has proven to be one that is in the upper part of the field but has lacked the budget to complete a full season. Let’s hope the Northern Territorian can stick around for the entire season as the sound of the MV Agusta he is riding on full noise is just majestic, and he is not too far off the pace.
While Toparis may have had a distinct edge in lap times over the others the difference in times between second (Liminton) and seventh (Aiden Hayes) was just over a second, and the rest were close behind.
Tom Toparis lead the time sheets by a hefty margin- ASBK 2019 – Official Phillip Island Test
Add a few more that were not at the test and others that are rising through the ranks like Scott Nicholson (who is in his own team this year); Aiden Hayes who is hoping to contest the entire season; as well as Ty Lynch who is gaining advice from Jed Metcher to improve his performances; Rhys Belling; Jack Passfield; Dallas Skeer; and the ever competitive Chris Quinn, and the 2019 Supersport category will have plenty of spice to compliment the other classes.
Supersport Combined Practice Times – 2019 ASBK PI Test
Aiden Wagner sets second fastest time in final session
By Mark Bracks
At the end of the two day official ASBK test it was Wayne Maxwell who could beat his chest as the fastest Superbike rider on the grid, after setting a 1:32.312 during the final day’s morning session.
Wayne Maxwell – Image by TBG
Wagner put in a notable final session of the day, setting a late 1:32.451 to post the second fastest time of the test, while close behind was the man who finished third last year in Troy Bayliss, followed by Josh Waters and Daniel Falzon. All bar Falzon and Wagner set their fastest times in the opening session of day two, before the heat really set in.
Defending champion Troy Herfoss meanwhile was sixth fastest, with Bryan Staring, Cru Halliday, Glenn Allerton and Mike Jones rounding out the top ten on the combined timesheets.
See below for individual sessions and the full combined testing times for the weekend.
Superbikes – Sunday Session 1
By 10am Sunday morning, the air temp was over 24 degrees at Phillip Island, with the track temperature already nudging 36 degrees. That meant that with the forecast saying it would only get hotter, it was vital to get the times in early as most expected the track and tyre performance to drop off as the temperatures rose and the day wore on.
Wayne Maxwell – Image by TBG
The first session saw Maxwell kick the day off well and continue his form, topping the sheets again with a blistering 1:32.312, which was only fractionally outside Troy Bayliss’s lap record of 1:32.224.
There were four other riders under the 1:33 mark for the first session of the day, with Bayliss, Waters, Wagner and Herfoss all claiming that honour. There was then a further one second gap back to Halliday in sixth.
Kawasaki Superbike – Practice 5 (Sun Session 1)
Wayne MAXWELL (VIC) Suzuki GSX-R ELR 1:32.312
Troy BAYLISS (QLD) Ducati Panigale FE +0.319
Josh WATERS (VIC) Suzuki GSX-R ELR +0.364
Aiden WAGNER (QLD) Yamaha YZF-R1 +0.532
Troy HERFOSS (QLD) Honda CBR RR SP +0.672
Cru HALLIDAY (NSW) Yamaha YZF-R1 +1.587
Daniel FALZON (SA) Yamaha YZF-R1 +1.635
Glenn ALLERTON (NSW) BMW S RR +1.642
Arthur SISSIS (SA) Suzuki GSXR RL7 +1.706
Mike JONES (QLD) Kawasaki ZX10RR +1.842
Superbikes – Sunday Session 2
The second session was held just before the lunch break and saw Bayliss return to the top of the timesheets, while a multitude of consistent laps from Falzon propelled him into second for the session. Wagner and Maxwell completed the top four and these were the only other riders to also descend into the 1:32s for the session.
Troy Bayliss – Image by TBG
The consensus of those that were asked is that they were all still trying to find a setup to suit the new Pirelli tyres. All bar Bayliss, who basically just adapted to the new tyres well.
To me, that gives an indication of the man’s adaptability, a skill that would have been honed on those many laps in the Superbike World Championships where a new compound or new profile change from either Michelin or Pirelli was more common than many changing underwear!
Kawasaki Superbike – Practice 6 (Sun Session 2)
Troy BAYLISS (QLD) Ducati Panigale FE 1:32.676
Daniel FALZON (SA) Yamaha YZF-R1 +0.108
Aiden WAGNER (QLD) Yamaha YZF-R1 +0.281
Wayne MAXWELL (VIC) Suzuki GSX-R ELR +0.281
Josh WATERS (VIC) Suzuki GSX-R ELR +0.628
Cru HALLIDAY (NSW) Yamaha YZF-R1 +0.636
Bryan STARING (WA) Kawasaki ZX10RR +0.793
Troy HERFOSS (QLD) Honda CBR RR SP +0.882
Glenn ALLERTON (NSW) BMW S RR +1.338
Mike JONES (QLD) Kawasaki ZX10RR +1.408
Superbikes – Sunday Session 3
By the time the third session of the day commenced the track temp was over 55 deg with lap times dropping by over a second across the board.
Daniel Falzon – Image by TBG
Daniel Falzon topped the time sheets for the first time, as he set the benchmark of 1:33.208 for the session. Closest was Bayliss, who went within 0.038 second of equaling the time on his last flying lap, with Waters third and Wagner fourth.
Kawasaki Superbike – Practice 7 (Sun Session 3)
Daniel FALZON (SA) Yamaha YZF-R1 1:33.208
Troy BAYLISS (QLD) Ducati Panigale FE +0.036
Josh WATERS (VIC) Suzuki GSX-R ELR +0.215
Aiden WAGNER (QLD) Yamaha YZF-R1 +0.217
Cru HALLIDAY (NSW) Yamaha YZF-R1 +0.256
Bryan STARING (WA) Kawasaki ZX10RR +0.317
Wayne MAXWELL (VIC) Suzuki GSX-R ELR +0.317
Troy HERFOSS (QLD) Honda CBR RR SP +.403
Glenn ALLERTON (NSW) BMW S RR +0.411
Mark CHIODO (VIC) Honda CBR RR SP +0.792
Superbikes – Sunday Session 4
With the final session of the two days approaching, a massive blackout hit the Island after a tree came down on a power line, shutting off power to the track and thus power to tyre warmers and other equipment in the pit sheds. As such over half the field of Superbikes decided to pack up for the day, including Daniel Falzon and Glenn Allerton.
Cru Halliday was third fastest in the final session – Image by TBG
After the final 25 minute session with the remaining riders – and a red flag delay after Mark Chiodo crashed at Lukey Heights for the second time of the weekend – it was Aiden Wagner who was the fastest from Maxwell, Halliday, Waters, Mike Jones and Bayliss.
Kawasaki Superbike – Practice 8 (Sun Session 4)
Aiden WAGNER (QLD) Yamaha YZF-R1 1:32.451
Wayne MAXWELL (VIC) Suzuki GSX-R ELR +0.492
Cru HALLIDAY (NSW) Yamaha YZF-R1 +0.760
Josh WATERS (VIC) Suzuki GSX-R EL R +0.853
Mike JONES (QLD) Kawasaki ZX10RR +1.335
Troy BAYLISS (QLD) Ducati Panigale FE +1.487
Troy HERFOSS (QLD) Honda CBR RR SP +1.524
Max CROKER (NSW) Suzuki GSX-R +2.287
Alex PHILLIS (VIC) Suzuki GSXR +2.429
Arthur SISSIS (SA) Suzuki GSXR RL7 +2.504
Sunday Superbike Wrap
While there are no prizes for being fastest at a test there is certainly a form guide we can take away, especially with the first round of the Australian Superbike Championship at the same venue in a little under three weeks time.
There may be the usual bunch of street fighters that have battled out the championship over the last couple of years at the front of the field, but Aiden Wagner has certainly made a few sit up and take notice.
Aiden Wagner – Image by TBG
The 25-year-old Queenslander was never out of the top five during the two days and his consistency in lap times was impressive. Also when you peek into the pit box of the Landbridge Transport/Wagner Soil Testing Team and see what isn’t there, it makes his effort even more outstanding.
It is very much a true privateer team with good personnel around him and while the focus will be on the manufacturer teams, just keep an eye on the #28 Yamaha R1 of Wagner. He will be ready to pounce, and he is certainly ready to win.
The first round of the Australian Superbike Championship will be held alongside the opening round of the Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island 22-24 February.
Kawasaki Superbike – Phillip Island Test – Merged classification
Troy Bayliss had been setting the pace for most of the opening day of the two-day 2019 ASBK Test session staged by Motorcycling Australia at Phillip Island, but late in the final session Wayne Maxwell knocked TB out of top spot by just under a tenth-of-a-second to finish day one on top of the charts.
Maxwell recently broke his collarbone in a bicycle crash and underwent shoulder surgery only nine days ago, but that didn’t stop the freshly signed Ecstar Suzuki putting in 40 laps on the GSX-R1000R and being the only rider to dip in to the 1m32s on the opening day of testing.
Bryan Staring is looking very competitive on the new ZX-10RR and finished the day third fastest ahead of Josh Waters.
Privateer Aiden Wagner upstaged the Factory Yamaha squad to finish as top Yamaha in fifth, fractionally ahead of defending champion Troy Herfoss.
The YRT duo of Daniel Falzon and Cru Halliday were seventh and eighth respectively ahead of Glenn Allerton while Mark Chiodo rounded out the top ten in front of Mike Jones and Ted Collins. Only a second covers a fairly close top ten.
Tom Toparis dominated the Supersport rankings on his new Yamaha while Tom Bramich debuted the Kawasaki Ninja 400 on top spot in the Supersport 300 results.
Lucas Quinn looks like the early one to beat in the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup.
Oli Bayliss will race a Cube Performance Centre prepared Yamaha YZF-R6 in 2019 as the 15-year-old makes his debut in the Australian Supersport Championship. He threw a leg over his newly prepared YZF-R6 race machines for the first time last week at Morgan Park.
Oli Bayliss
Motorcycling Australia made an amendment to the rules in late 2018 to allow racers under the age of 16, who demonstrate the ability to race at a high standard safely, to race in the larger capacity class. This has allowed Oli, who was hampered by his size in the smaller Supersport 300 class, to step up to 600 Supersport and further hone his racing skills in a class more suitable to his frame.
Oli Bayliss on the Cube Racing Yamaha YZF-R6
I asked him a few questions about his first experience with the bigger machine and the year ahead.
Oli Bayliss
I know you are used to big hits of power Oli, from your time on 450 motocross bikes on the dirt and also on oil tracks, and also used to very litte power from the 300s you have been racing for the last couple of seasons, so what stands out the most in regards to the Supersport machine now you have had some time to get your head around it? It should certainly suit your physical size a lot better.
Oli – “The weight, power, brakes, and having to manhandle the bike compared to the 300.”
Cube Racing Yamaha YZF-R6
Glen Richards prepped your bikes and is going to be in your corner for season 2019. Apart from the pommy accent he has picked up after all those years in the UK, how is that working out?
Oli – “Glen is great, I’ve spent a few days in and out of the track and he’s great, and fast.”
Oli Bayliss will work with Glen Richards for ASBK season 2019
You fully recovered and back up to strength after breaking your arm on the mountain bike late last year? You stronger than dad on the bicycle?
“I still have a bit until I’m up to speed with dad on the uphill, but I definitely have him covered on the downhill, jumps and style especially!”
Oli Bayliss will work with Glen Richards for ASBK season 2019
What are your expectations for this coming season? With the likes of Cru Halliday stepped back up to Superbike, and Max Croker heading to Superbike also, who do you see as likely your main opposition?
“Everyone, I could name heaps, I just want to do one thing, and that is win.”
That last statement certainly confirms he is a chip off the old block.
Team Owner, Ben Henry
“Oli has proven that he has the skill to race, and race well, so I’m really glad to see Motorcycling Australia recognise and address the issue facing young racers like Oli, where their age could slow their progression in the sport. I’m excited to see how competitive he can become throughout the season as he learns and adapts to the bigger, more complex style of racing that comes with stepping up in class, and I’m confident that he’ll do well.”
The first official test for the 2019 season takes place 2-3 February in Phillip Island where Oli and the Cube Racing team get a chance to shake down the new bike before the first round, alongside the first round of the World Superbike Championship (WSBK).
Initial artists impression of the livery the 2019 Cube Racing R6 will be campaigned by Oli Byaliss in ASBK – Underground Designs
2019 ASBK Calendar
Official ASBK Test – Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC February 2 – 3
Round 1- WSBK – Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC February 21 – 24
Round 2- Wakefield Park Raceway – Goulburn NSW March 22 – 24
Round 3- The Bend Motorsport Park – Tailem Bend, SA April 26 – 28
Round 4- Morgan Park Raceway – Warwick, QLD July 5 – 7
Round 5- Winton Motor Raceway – Benalla, VIC September 6 – 8
Round 6- Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC October 4 – 6
Round 7- Sydney Motorsport Park – Eastern Creek, NSW November 1 – 3
